10 dictionary sites for writers

Writers don’t just need to know what words mean: they need to experiment, learn, discover, check and sometimes just plain find the right words. What follows are ten useful, and occasionally playful, dictionary sites for writers:

One Look.Two sites for the price of one: not only will One Look collate definitions from dictionaries across the web, both general and specialist, but it also has a reverse dictionary feature for when you know what you want to say but you can’t remember the right word. Try searching for ‘the feeling of joy at someone else’s misfortune’ to see what I mean.

Visuwords. For those who prefer to see the patterns of language, Visuwords displays meanings, linked words and concepts as a spider diagram that you can manipulate and explore.

What you see when you type ‘words’ into Visuwords

Urban Dictionary. Recommended on here once before, I am recommending it again. Even if you just scroll through being horrified and bemused, it lets you see how people play with words and meanings. And let’s face it, no one wants to be the one at the table that doesn’t know what a synergasm is.
[For a bit of extra fun, have a gander at this Dictionary of Slang focused on the best of British colloquialisms.]

Opposite Word. You know when you are really frustrated that you can’t remember that perfect word? Well this is like the opposite of that, you know, encouraged, fulfilled, inspirited, stimulated, uplifted. Type in a word and find its antonyms.

Word Spy.Full of new words and uses of language, like a grownup’s Urban Dictionary.

Word Count. A visual display, or stream, of 86,800 English words, ordered by popularity.

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About Clare Dodd

Clare Dodd is a writer at Articulate Marketing. Her mind is often occupied with feminism, fascinating people and innovative technology. She has a Masters in American studies and lived there for a while. She cannot function without coffee.

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